Privacy policy and cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies ("cookies") to help give you the best experience on our site and to show you relevant advertising. If you continue to use this site, we'll assume that you're happy to receive all cookies. Read our updated privacy policy for more about what we do with your data, as well as your rights and choices – including how to manage cookies.

Tesco supports Homeless World Cup with 19,000 meals & 21,000 bottles of water

Mel Young
Homeless World Cup President

Mel Young, co-founder of The Big Issue Scotland, on the importance of the Homeless World Cup coming to Glasgow this summer and thanks Tesco & Fareshare for their support.

Our mission to make Glasgow the most inspiring place on the planet is very much on.

The city centre around George Square will be a hive of activity this July as the eyes of the world turn to the Homeless World Cup and we cannot wait to welcome the competitors, coaches, volunteers and staff to this wonderful sporting city.

We are extremely proud of the event and the ethos behind it. Football and the Homeless World Cup can have an incredibly positive impact on the lives of those involved.

That said, the logistics of bringing players, coaches, and support staff, as well as the hundreds of volunteers together in Glasgow is significant to say the least.

The event will see 48 men's and 16 women's teams from 52 countries descend on the city from 10th to 16th of July.

We are in the process of pulling everything together for what will be a wonderful cultural and sporting occasion. But this is also significantly more than a football tournament - it's a real celebration of optimism.

We will have 512 players with us, and every single one of them is at some stage of their journey towards a more stable future.

The operational set-up of providing healthy meals three times a day is such a vital part of that, so to have Tesco, working in partnership with FareShare, on board really is fantastic. The significance of their remarkable gesture really can’t be underestimated.

Almost 19,000 meals and 21,000 bottles of water will be delivered over the duration of the tournament. As well as supplying the meals, water and around 3,500 bananas to players on site Tesco will also provide each team with a guide for their stay in Glasgow via their community champion network.

Much will be paid for by money raised from events held by Tesco colleagues. The rest will come through Tesco’s Community Food Connection initiative with FareShare FoodCloud, which sees unsold food from stores go to those in need.

Our team, Tesco colleagues and FareShare staff have been able to work collaboratively, in an incredibly busy and challenging environment with a forward thinking, proactive can do attitude, which has been so refreshing.

Store Director, Paul McCarter and his colleague Store Manager, Robert Killeen together with FareShare Glasgow & West of Scotland Manager Scott Crawford have been brilliant to work with.

For Tesco to be providing absolutely everything, as well as all on-site water, is a hugely generous commitment which makes our efforts to talk about the key issues of homelessness and social inequality that bit easier and we are delighted to have sealed this partnership.